


The Girl

by HeRbIeZ, RABel



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: All is not what it seems, Gen, It's harry potter-ish in the sense of the world around the people not really the people though, and people might get bloody at some point, not really blood and guts though, someone might die, there's also kidnapping
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-01-25
Updated: 2017-02-18
Packaged: 2018-09-19 19:20:08
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 10
Words: 13,992
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9457028
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/HeRbIeZ/pseuds/HeRbIeZ, https://archiveofourown.org/users/RABel/pseuds/RABel
Summary: Burnie thought she could live a normal life, one where everyone hates her but still a normal one. Lo and behold, she can't and now she has has to deal with a whole group of people that seem to know more about her.





	1. Let's Start From the Begining

**Author's Note:**

> Okay, but sooo ... this is a thing. don't know how long it will be but it's a thing and you should read it ... and possibly give me feedback on it??? maybe???

Burnnie sat in a old wooden chair at an old wooden desk with a rather old -but not wooden- book in front of her. Short, straight blond hair coming down to nearly cover her eyes as she leaned forward to read the script closer. 

 

She wore a thick fluffy looking baby blue sweater with a white button up under shirt underneath along with tight grey pants, all complemented with a light orange bow-tie with little white polka dot spotting it. She was a beckon for mockery and insult, but it wasn’t always based on her attire -most of it going for her lack of magical abilities and work in the library.

 

This, of course, was to be expected. Her parents had warned her about it and may of their family friends had expressed the same concert about her. All the slander and snide remarks about her shortfall can be a bit abusive at some points in her life,  _ but- _

 

BUT

 

Sometimes people where nice to her, sometimes they would talk to her freely and not be afraid to approach her for advice on things or even ask her for books -like her job description implied-, sometimes they’d even stand next to her while others were around and not fear the potential consequences.

 

That was nice, really  _ really  _ nice.

 

There was a light knock on the wood next to the book she was reading. She turned and looked up to see the one that had talked to her in front of the others. He had dark curly hair and a wide bright smile.

 

“Burnnie, would you mind helping me with a bit of my potions schoolwork?” He asked, the kindness in his voice almost thick enough to cut and eat like a cake.

 

“Ahh…,” Burnnie was a bit stunned at the proposition, she knew barely anything about potions, math she was a wiz at but potions, “Sure, I can try.”

 

The boy smiled wider and threw her book down on the desk, pushing whatever she had been reading a few moments before out of the way, “Well, it’s not actually potions more along the lines of the measurements of each ingredient,” he pointed to a problem in the book, “They want me to quadruple the batch and all of the starting measurements are quite big and all I can think about is ‘what is someone going to do with that much Confusing Concoction?’ and it’s screwing me up.”

 

Burnnie looked down at the book and gave a wry smile. She could work with numbers but all the insane ingredients always messed with her, “Why don’t you write out all the numbers down for me, and then I might be able to help you.”

 

The student gave a curt nod before setting to work on writing out all the numbers. It had never occurred to her but she had never got the boy's name, he had somehow found her’s out but he had never actually introduced herself.

 

She looked up at the him with a bit of a wondering look, searching his face for something that might give her any bit of knowledge about him, “Who …-” She finally started, “-are you exactly.”

 

The boy looked over to her with confusion all over his face. She repositioned herself in her chair to face him more, “You never told me your name, or how you know mine.”

 

The boy turned his head a bit to the side before stepping back an inch or so and extending one of his hands, he cleared his throat, “I am Ishmael, and I know your name because I hear people talk about you alot.”

 

“What do they say?” She asked, something she knew the answer to but wanted to hear from the horse's mouth.

 

“They’re afraid of you, I don’t know why though, you seem quite nice.”

 

“Afraid?”

 

“Yeah,” He gave a small smile, “But I’m not scared of you, all because you don’t have magical abilities but are still like us doesn’t make you a monster.”

 

Burnie had never heard that one before, “They fear me … because I don’t have something they do? That just seems unnecessary and unprovoked.”

 

“Well yeah, no one likes Squibs if you haven’t noticed, everyone would rather think you're an Oscurial.”

 

“But, those are  _ actually _ scary, they can destroy cities. Why would that be better than a Squib?” Burnie ask, her tone becoming a little more offended then she like it to be.

 

Ishmael shrugged, “I have no clue. Now, can you help me with this please?”

 

Burnie looked down at the problems Ishmael had written out before giving little nods, “Yeah, yeah I can.”

 

\--

 

Burnie walked into a small shack and drops her bags on the floor before moving deeping into the house with the small wicker cage she carries around. She popped open the top and flopped down on couch in front of the fireplace.

 

A little niffler head poked out and looked intently at her. He let out a little scoff before crawling up and out of the box and onto her chest pulling at the clasp she had on her bowtie. Two little hands grabbed at it but didn’t try to pull it away from Burnnie, the Niffler only looked up at her staring rather intensely at her eyes.

 

“Is there something you want Fritz?” She asked looking down at the small black creature.

 

Fritz made a small sound before taking hold of her face like it was some sort of precious gem that he had snatch from a jewelry shop -something that happened far too much.

 

Burnie let out a small laugh, “Fritz, I’m not some sort of shiny stopwatch for you to keep in your pouch.” He made another sound, this time coming off as more disgruntled, “Oh, come now, there’s no reason to be upset. It‘s not as if I’m going to leave you and go find some other Niffler.” 

 

Fritz gave a pleased half mewl before tucking himself under her chin. Burnie sighed and picked up the book she had discharged on the couch from the morning and began reading once more, trying her hardest not to crush Fritz in the meantime.

 

A few minutes later, her father came home. Dropping his things over hers before moving into the living room just as she had. He stood in front of her with hands on his hips as he looked down at her.

 

“Burnett,” he said firmly.

 

She looked up past her book at him, “Yes, father?” She said back with a bit of a mocking tone

 

His stature relaxed surprisingly face as he kneeled down in front of her and scratch the bum of sleeping niffler that still rested on her collarbone. He smiled up at his daughter, his darkish red hair curled up in front his eyes and freckles dotted across his face. He looked absolutely nothing like Burnie -or the other way around- even their builds were somewhat the opposite -him being lanky and tall and her being short and stout. 

 

“How was your day, dear?” He asked, his smile audible in his voice.

 

“Fine, better than the others I suppose.”

 

“Was there any crude comments?”

 

“I feel like that has a rather obvious answer to that, da.”Burnie said dropping the book she had been reading to her side and looking at her dad flatly. “All because I work there doesn’t mean the students don't name call.”

 

He sighed and stood, patting her on the head, “Just ignore them, dear. They’re all jealous of you is all.”

 

She hummed, “How so?”

 

“You can go somewhere out of the wizarding world and have absolutely no worries about being found out or doing something you're not supposed to.”

 

Burnie regarded him with slight disdain, “What’s the point of have the ability to go somewhere if you can never go to said place in the first place.”

 

He dad let out a large sigh, “I didn’t come over her to argue with you, dear. I was just trying to help. Now,” he looked down at her with raised brows, “Where do you want to eat?”

 

Burnie let out a little laugh, “Well isn’t that a good question.”


	2. Strange Men and There Swords

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Well ... there's strange men and they have swords, what more can I say

“Hey, wanna-be-witch! I heard you're mum jumped off a bridge after she found out you were a Squib!”

 

Burnie stopped dead in her tracks, she was holding an arm full of books and and had on another set of pastel colored clothes, this time with a long hanging necklace and shiny stud earrings. She also had the wicker case for Fritz hung over her shoulder and dangling at her side -the reason for all the shiny jewelry in the first place. 

 

She turned to look at the boy who had started harassing her, All of them were about three or so years younger then her, most likely the only reason why they had the nerve to even bark at her in the first place. 

 

She regarded the head harasser with a flat cold look that she gave to everyone that got on her nerves, “Actually,” She started, “She did, she was too ashamed that a pure blood like herself had ever conceived and given birth to anything as pathetic as I was.” She turned her head to the side before continuing, “She was walking me home from a pre-school I was attending as well, I was seven.”

 

The boy fell silent and regarded her with such horror you would have thought they just saw someone get mauled by a bear. All their mouths hung open and their eyes blown wide. She shrugged and turned back around and walked back the way she had been leaving them to stand and gauk.

 

\--

 

Once she got into the library she let out a deep sigh. Dropping off the books at the checkout desk to be sorted later before grabbing a set of keys from one of the drawers before heading in the back ‘forbiden’ section -nobody minded if she goes back there seeing as she can’t get into or do anything with the books back there. 

 

She unlocked the gate and hurried to the very back wall of the hall before spinning on a dime and to the right and rushing though a bit of a hidey hole. Once she got to a little corner that was padded with large fluffy pillows and piles of books about the magical creatures scattered about the place, she placed to wicker case on the ground and popped open the lid.

 

Fritz intently popped out and attached himself to her necklaces and earrings before she could even get settled down in the first place.

 

“Fritz, calm down, you see these pieces every other day.” Burnie semi scolded.

 

The Niffler just scoffed at her again before crawling into her coat and finding a particularly warm place to sleep. She rolled her eyes at him before picking up one of the book and begin to read where she had left off before.

 

Right when she was starting to get into a little bit on Fwoopers was she interrupted by a  whisper of a voice at the entrances of her secret oasis. “What is this?” 

 

Burnie carefully turned her head to the side and put on her most innocent face. At the entrance was Ishmael wearing full hufflepuff attire and all.

 

“Ah-” Burnie stammered, what the hell was she going to say? I go here to run away from having to deal with the Hogwarts students that need my help? I go here because I can’t handle having to deal with insults about my dead mother ever second of the day? I go here because I don’t want to be fired for knocking the teeth of a wizard or witch out  _ again _ ? “-I’m on my break I swear.”

 

Ishmael let out a little laugh before moving forward over to her, “I won’t tell .anyone if you don’t tell anyone I’m back here.”

 

Burnie raised a brow at him before moving over to let him sit next to her, “Why  _ are  _ you back here?”

 

“I was looking for you.” He answered simply, he looked down at the book she had been reading, “What’s this then?”

 

Burnie was all still a bit shocked about the whole intrusion and had to shake herself out of it a bit before responding, “It’s a book on magical creatures.”

 

“Oh really!” Ishmael looked up to her with quite a bit of excitement, “Do you like it at all?”

 

“Nope.” Burnie respond plainly, “It is the most boring thing I’ve ever read in my entire life. The way the author writes makes me fall asleep and half of the information in here is common knowledge, but I always finish what I start so I can’t stop now.”

 

Ishmael nods and settle downs next to her tucking his knees up under himself to get more comfortable. He picked up one of the other book that were around and opened it to a random page. To his surprise the whole thing was in another language with no translations of footnotes.

 

“How do you read this?”

 

Burnie looked over to the book quickly before turning back to her own book, “By knowing the language.”

 

Ishmael looked up to her in awe, “You can read this?”

 

“Yes.”

 

“And you can understand it?!” 

 

“Yes.”

 

Ishmael shuffled around in excitement before settling down again and looking at her with more awe than she thought a person was capable of, “You're really smart.”

 

Burnie gives a wry smile, “Thank you.”

 

He scooted closer to her, “Where did you learn all of this stuff?”

 

“Night schooling in Hogsmeade and a mix of my father teaching me.” 

 

“That’s incredible.” Ishmael says, his voice barely above a whisper, “You’ll be very useful.”

 

“What?”

 

“Nothing!”

 

\--

 

Burnie was working at the checkout desk, moving skillfully about all the magically moving book and quills scribbling out little notes and information about going-ons in the library. She swiveled her chair and sat at the front reception counter.

 

She was about to start checking in the few book she had brought in earlier way a loud thud grabbed her attention. She looked up to see a hooded figure standing on the other side of the counter and a … Sword?

 

She looked from the figure to the sword a few times before finally asking, “What is this then? I’m a librarian not a magic sword salesmen.”

 

The figure let out a little laugh, deep and resonating, before handing her a small slip of paper. She took it and unfolded it, reading the containers carefully.

 

_ You’re stronger than I’d imagined you’d be. Meet me in front of the post office in Hogsmeade at quarter to 8 and bring only yourself. I am very anxious to meet you in person and very excited to see how our relationship will grow. _

 

__ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ __ _ \-- Mr. K _

 

Burnie looked up from the paper and was about to demand answers from the mysterious stranger but found that they had already shuffled off to do other weird, hooded man things. She stood from her seat to look around the library trying to see if they might have just darted behind a bookcase.

 

There was a small squeak of shock and awe, she turned her head down to find Fritz with his arms wrapped around the sword and cooing over all the very shiny metal bits that decorated the hilt and belts of the sword.

  
Burnie huffed and pulled Fritz from the sword, holding him next to her chest and looking down at the sword like it had just spilled a drink all over her. “I don’t like this, Fritz.” She said moving her head to nuzzle into the side of the Niffler head. He let out a little purr as she spoke again, “It all too strange for my taste.” 


	3. Even Stranger Men and Closets

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> there's now a closet a few more strange men .. I wonder what will happen next

“I don’t know what to do with this, but I don’t want it.” 

 

Burnie dropped the sword on to the desk of the headmaster with no care and stood there for a few moment with her arms still outstretched before dropping them back down to her sides and looking at the old white hair man.

 

“I assume you would know how to handle this best, headmaster.”

 

The headmaster looked at her like she was at least slightly on fire -a look she was used to getting- before looking down at the sword.

 

“Ms. Todds, what on earth are you doing.” He said with a very noticeable tinge in his voice.

 

“Pardon my interruption, Sir. I can see that you are upset about it but  _ this _ , I believe, would take the utmost importance.” She pulled the little note from where she stuck it at the top of her shirt and handed it to him, he took it but hesitantly, “I have no idea what is going on and I don’t want to be at fault for any harm that might come to anyone.”

 

“Very … respectful of you Ms. Todds,” He looked over the small note, his nose scrunching up at the letters on the page before turning back to Burnie with the same expression -again, something she had seem many of times before- “Was there anything else that came with this, besides the sword of course.”

 

Burnie though a moment, “The man who came in was rather odd looking, his skin was almost grey and the way in which he moved was almost ghost like.”

 

“Well, thank you Ms. Todds. Please do tell me if anything more comes of this.” He said simply, like he had seen it a thousand times before -knowing how old he is, he probably had seen it a thousand times before.

 

Burnie stood there in shock for a few seconds before shaking herself out of it and nodding to the headmaster, “Yes, headmaster.” She turned on her heel and walked out of his room and headed back to her happy place.

 

There was something about this whole matter that made her uncomfortable, not scared, not paranoid, just  _  uncomfortable _ . It was that feeling you get when you're room that was too hot and you got all wrapped up in your sheets trying to kick them off all the while still not waking up. It was that feeling you get when you eat something slightly past its expiration date but didn’t have enough umph to be any real pain.

 

It was the feeling you get when you're family ask you when you're going to finally meet someone and have kid but none of them know you're actually gay as all hell and despise kids with a burning passion. 

 

She took a slow breath in and closed her eyes.

 

\--

 

“BURNIE!” 

 

She yelp at the sudden loud noise. She was halfway to one of the side rooms she normally eats lunch in when -of course him of all people- Ishmael had decided to jump out of nowhere and scare the living daylights out of her.

 

She held her hand over her heart and steadied her breathing which had become sporadic from the loud noise, “Ishmael, aren’t you suppose to be in class or something?”

 

“Yeah, but I saw you leaving and I just wanted to say goodbye.”

 

Burnie let out a little laugh, “I’m not leaving for today, I normal stay here late on weekdays, I’m just going to have lunch.”

 

Ishmael looked at her confused, “Why don’t you eat with the rest of us?”

 

“First and foremost; I am not a student here and I  _ was _ never a student here, and, secondly; no one likes me here besides you, the rest of them either completely despise my existence or look at me like I’m a house elf -now that I think about it, they’d probably treat a house elf better than me.” she thought for a moment about what she had just said before continuing, “And thirdly; I’d have to wait another hour before eating if I were to eat with you.” 

 

Ishmael’s smile turned into a puppy like pout and his eyes grew wide, “Could I at least eat lunch with you?”

 

Burnie sighed and looked down at him with a bit of pity, why did the poor boy have to choose her as a friend. By doing that he, of course, had just ruined his chances of ever being completely except as a great wizard ever again in the wizarding world. 

 

He may become great, get a few ‘he’s done wonders for us,’ or ‘I remembered when he saved everyone's’ lives,’ but tagged on to all those comments will be, ‘yeah, but he’s friends with a  _ Squib _ though isn’t he,’ which she will feel forever guilty for.

 

“If you want to I suppose,” She finally huffs, “But I may not be eating by the time you get to me.”

 

Ishmael gives her a large smile and grabs hold of her wrist and giving it a quick tug, “I don’t mind if you're not, I just like spending time with you.”

 

Burnie almost gagged on how sweet the boy was being, she patted Ishmael’s hand before making him drop it from her wrist, “That is … very sweet of you, Ishmael. But, as of this moment, you need to get back to class.”

 

The boy squealed -like, actually squealed- before clapping his hands together in front of himself, “Oh, thank you, Burnie! You won’t regret this!” He yelled as he turned to run back to his class.

 

She waved to him, adding under her breath when she knew he wouldn’t hear, “I already do.”

 

\--

 

Burnie woke to something nudging her in the side and making her sleep incredibly uncomfortable. She opened her eyes only slightly and turned over raising the sheet to see if Fritz had started to pile his gold underneath her back as she slept once again. To her surprise, there was no gold, no Fritz, there was nothing.

 

Burnie looked on the top of the covers calling out quietly for Fritz. When hearing no sleeping squeaky squeaks she got up from her bed and grabbed a robe, quickly tying it around her waist before making her way down staries.

 

There was the faintest clinking coming from her kitchen which she summed up to be the absent Niffler before she even made it into the room -she wasn’t wrong in the slightest.

 

“Fritz,” she said, her voice motherly and tired, “What on God's green earth are you doing?”She asked her eyes still half lidded as she leaned against the door frame of the kitchen. 

 

The Niffler looked up at her and squeaked before crawling back over to her and holding on to her ankle. She crouched down and earned herself another chirp from Fritz when she raised him off the ground and tucked him close under her chin.

 

She hummed, “At least you don’t treat me like a second class citizen.”

 

She turned to walk out of the kitchen and back upstairs but halfway through the living room there was a change in the feeling of the place and a sudden loud  _ WOOOSH  _ with a flash of black and then there was a man standing in front of her, holding his wand out at her face, and her foot all of a sudden connected to his crotch.

 

Harshly.

 

He grabbed between his legs and fell to the floor kneeling and looking down at the floor in front of him. She looked down at him wide eyed and shocked.

 

The man in front of her was tall -lanky but tall- he had short curly light pink hair -light pink? How is that possible?- with rather pale skin. He wore mostly black but a light orange sweater with blue and white pin striped under shirt peaked out from his large heavy black trench coat. 

 

When he got back up to his feet, he was granted by a rather annoyed looking mother-hen who cradle her small -yet pudgy- child Niffle closer to herself, “Who do you think you are?” Burnie asked through gritted teeth.

 

“Ah …” the man scratched the back of his head, before looking down to his hand and extending it to her, “I’m Yohan Gogh, and I know who you are Miss Todds.”

 

Burnie slapped his hand away and pointed a finger at him, “Do you know no manners, It’s rather rude to apparate into a person's house in the middle of the night.” She scolded.

 

He rubbed at the hand she had hit and looked slightly away from her yes, “I just wanted to make sure you were safe.” He mumbled, “You didn’t go to the post office, did you?”

 

“No.”

  
He let out a heavy sigh of relief, “Oh, good.” he grabbed her forearm and was about to tell her why it was good of her not to go the the post office when there was a loud knock on the door that made both of them hold their breath.


	4. Sticky Situations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Everything is changing so fast and Burnie is surprisingly taking it all very well

Burnie has been in some sticky situations in her life -both physical  _ and _ mental- some she wishes to never think back to again and would like for her mind to completely forget all together. She’s tamed dragons -that was a lot of honey, black tea and Aloe Vera plants- she’s had to deal with Bowtruckles figuring the best place to live was her hair -it was also finals week having to pick through her hair every time she left the house before going to stress herself out was more of an annoyance than an actual problem. Let alone having to deal with Demiguises tugging at her -whether it was because she was ruining her future and they were trying to help her or they just wanted food, they never said.

 

Hell, most of her childhood was filled with unknowns and unwanted situations mostly caused by all the beast and creatures she was raised with. Losing her piggybank to a Niffler, losing most of her meals -plate and all- to the Curp, almost losing a hand to the Hippogriff when her dad was too busy dealing with  _ other things  _ and made her feed the snap-happy beast.

 

But somehow all that couldn’t compare to the unnerving feeling she was having at the moment. Being held too close to a strange man under an invisibility cloak as others burst down her door -which is going to cost a fortune for repairs- and ransack her house on the hunt for _ her _ . The only comfort she had was Fritz who was as freaked as she was at that moment with little nervous squeak and nuzzling as close as he could to Burnie.

 

“What the hell is going on.” Burnie whisper yells at Youhan who looks like he should be asking the same question.

 

“They’re zealots and you're apart of their prophecy.” He said to her trying to be as quiet as possibly.

 

Burnie looked up at Youhan like he had spoke gibberish, “Is … is that a metaphor, is that … please tell me that was a metaphor.” 

 

Youhan shook his head.

 

“Oh fu-”

 

Yohan's hands flew over her mouth, shutting her up as one of the zealots stomped past them sniffing the air as if to smell them out. If he could smell fear he surely wouldn’t have a problem with that one.

 

It was like she was having flashbacks to the time the Common Welsh Greens trapped her in the moon calf pen which was just annoying. She could smell the fire all over again, feel the heat on her skin, hear the whimpers of a small Fritz squirming in her arms as Yohan pulls both of them in closer trying to slowly move them away from the intruders and into a side closet under that staires.

 

“And  _ what _ are we going to do in here?” Burnie Looks intently at Yohan, Fritz joining in on the look this time.

 

“Just,” He grabbed Burnie by the wrist, “Don’t breath.”

 

There was a flash of color then blackness and a heavy sick feeling settling in her stomach before  she appeared in front of a black wood door with three gold number over the peephole. 

 

536

 

\--

 

Harriet Gabes refreshes the maroon lipstick she had precisely placed on her lips and fluffed her curly short grey hair before rearranging the curls and winking at herself in the mirror. Freckles lightly dusted her face -and neck … and shoulders … and the rest of her body- and a very perstin mole right side of her face next to her lips.

 

She gawked at herself in the mirror till she was rudely interrupted by manik knocking on her door. She tsked before sauntering out of the bathroom, through her living room and over to the large black door. She pulled it open and peered through the gap the chain on her door allowed and what she found was the panicked face of Yohan whose hair had changed to a bright yellow orange -as it normally did when he was flushed about something. 

 

She put her hand on her hip and looked at him flatly biting on the inside of one of her cheekes in place of gum, “What’s this about now?”

 

“You know that  _ thing _ I was talking to you about before,” He motions to the side of him that she can’t see, “Well they're right here, and kind of need clothes.”

 

Harriet opens the door the rest of the way so fast it makes to new face jump and take a few steps back from her. She wasn’t exactly clothesless, but more along the lines of not having proper clothes -which was a disappointment to her seeing as the fine young lady that stood at her door step seemed to have quite a fine physique.

 

“And what’s you're name then?”

 

The woman looks at her in shock, there was a slightly sickly look hanging in her eyes and a few pieces of her shiny blond hair had fallen out of place from whatever Yohan had her downing. She swallowed and extended a hand, “Burnett Todds.”

 

Harriet grabbed her hand by the fingers and placed a light kiss to the back of this fine looking Burnett’s hand -her skin was surprisingly smooth- the look that crossed her face was less innocent and more rising annoyance mix with a bit of ‘why are you touching me’. “Harriet Gabes.”

 

Harriet moved away from that look as fast as she could and moved to direct them into her home, Burnett walked past her holding something small and black that squeaked at her as she walked past.

 

Harriet looked toward Yohan for an answer, “What does she have?”

 

“It’s only a Niffler.”

 

“A Niffler?! I thought you said she lived in Hogsmeade!” She yelled -whisper yelled- at Yohan, “A Niffler would never be allowed in the there!”

 

“When you're done talking about me and acting like I can’t hear you, could I get a change of clothes please?” Burnett asked looking at both of them like they had just woke her from a much needed sleep -technically it was all Yohan’s fault.

 

“Of course dear.” Harriet looked at the stout woman up and down and gave a wry smile, “If I have anything that would fit you, you may have it.”

 

And with that Harrie lead Burnett to her bedroom, quickly pulling out the outfit before rushing out of the room and closing the door behind herself. She trotted back to Yohan, heels clicking on the hardwood floors the whole way. A huge smile spread across her face as she looked at Yohan with a knowing look.

 

“Harrie, you can’t.”

 

“But she’s so goddamn cute, Yoey, how could you resist anything like that?”

 

“Easily.”

 

\--

 

The shirt Burnie was given was a good bit too big and hung loose on her. A light blue lace running around the cuffs and collar with a pair of matching light blue dress pants that she needed a belt to keep around her waist -but was quite tight when it came to the  _ backside _ \- and had to roll up the bottoms so they wouldn’t drag on the ground when she walked. All was completed nicely by a pair of white shoes and a light blue bowtie with two small silver doves pinned on either side of the knot.

 

She sighed and smoothed out the shirt before turning to Fritz and presenting herself, “What do you think?”

 

Fritz looked her up and down and gave a little chirp before raising his hands to her. She quickly walked over and plucked her from the bed giving him a small kiss on the head -he couldn’t care less about the kiss, to fixated on the dove pins and how they shimmered in the light.

 

“I guess it could be worse.”


	5. Child's Play

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ishmael doesn't know where Burnie is so he leaves school to go look for her and forces Rose to come with his.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Rose belongs to HeRbIeZ, thank you for your help, love ya)

“BURNIE!” 

 

Ishmael shouted as he sprinted into the library, before he could get the second half of the shout out, the other librarian appeared from behind one of the many bookcases to shush him. 

 

He gave a wry little smile before side stepping away into the back where he saw Burnie go before. Ducking into the little hidey hole she had been in a day or so before he was greeted by nothing but dusty books and cold pillows. 

 

He frowned at the set that laid before him before pulling back and walking out of the library. Something wasn’t quite right about this whole scenario, Burnie wouldn’t just get up and leave out of nowhere and she definitely wasn’t sick seeing as she was perfectly fine the other day. How could anything go wrong that fast? 

 

He wondered to the last place he had seen her, up long flights of stairs, climbing castle like ramparts, up and up and up. The walk takes your breath away and the height kept it that way. He stood in front of two large wooden doors, taking a deep breath in her push forward with quite a bit of effort before the door budged.

 

And again, nothing had changed since the last time he had been there. He let out a heavy sigh as he turned to leave only stopping when the faint sound of scratching followed by the sound of something glass crashing to the floor. He spun around to see a tea cup broken into shards below a small end table.

 

Placing a hand on his wand, Ishmael walked into the room and up to the table. There was enough scraping sound making him jump and pull out his wand faster than he ever thought he could. When he eyes met those of a Bowtruckle he let out a little yelp and jumped about a foot off the ground making it yelp in return.

 

“Merlin, Eugene.” Ishmael huff covering his mouth with his hand, “You scared me half to death.”

 

The Bowtruckle let out a small disgruntled noise as if to say he did the same to him. Ishmael offered out a hand to the small twiggy thing and he gladly climbed on, pushing up under the sleeve of Ishmael’s robes and moving up to sit next to his face tickling Ishmael all the way and making him squirm like a four year old that need badly to relieve themselves.

 

“That was not what I had intended but okay.” 

 

Ishmael turned to leave, walking a few step before looking up and staring straight into the pits of hell, well … Rose Price’s eyes -which were the opposite to hell being an icy blue- but it’s all the same in the end.

 

“What are  _ you  _ doing?” The ginger asked looking at him with a raised brow.

 

Ishmael froze like a deer in headlights, not able to think for a moment. He stuttered, “I-I was just looking for something, but it wasn’t up here so I’ll just go.” He tried to squeeze past the Ravenclaw but was blocked by her taking a step in the direction he was about to use to escape. 

 

Rose looked down at him, her height giving her an even icier stare then he thought possible, “And what were you looking for?”

 

“Burrrrr~” He stopped himself before completing her name but ending up running himself into a corner, “~rrendery?” He questioned.

 

Rose looked at him more in confusion then, turning slightly away from him, “Burendery? You're looking for Burendery? What is this mystic Burendery?”

 

“A root?”

 

Rose stopped, all of her motions coming to a complete stand still, she regarded like she had many times before, her brow flat and her mouth hanging slightly open, “You're looking for a root … in one of the tallest parts of the school. Am I getting this right?”

 

Ishmael huffed and pulled his robes up closer to his neck trying to hide Eugene -who had decided he wanted to see what was happening in the outside world-, “Now that you say it, it sounds stupid, gee.”

 

“Ishmael, what are you actually doing?”

 

“Looking for Burnie,” He confessed his eyes dropping to the floor as he spoke the words, “I know she hasn’t been gone long but I have a weird feeling about it.”

 

“She the Librarian you always hang around with, right?” Rose asked, he gave a curt nod, “I thought something was up, the books I put out to be returned haven’t been picked up yet and the day’s almost out.” She let out a little huff, “I just assumed they were being lazy but she hasn’t been here all day I need to point the blame in another direction.”

 

“Wait, would you help me look for her?” 

 

Rose gave a bit of a panicked look, “Besides looking over the grounds again, there would be nowhere to search for her.”

 

“I know where she lives.” Ishmael shouts with a huge smile across his face.

 

“First off,” She starts, “that is the creepiest thing I’ve ever heard, and secondly, do I have a choice in the matter?”

 

“Nope!” 

 

And with that Ishmael took hold of one of Rose’s sleeves and pulled her along behind him off school property while it was still in session looking for a woman that quite possibly just be sick. Sounds like the greatest Idea ever.

 

\--

 

Rose is dragged by the arm through Hogsmeade to the edge to a rather shabby looking house, only stopping a few yards from it when a few men come walking out wearing long black coats and match black hats. 

 

“Once you find  _ anything _ that might lead us to her, bring it to me immediately.” one of them said, his voice rough and stern.

 

The other two gave curt little nods before saying, “Yes, sir.” all together. 

 

Ishmael gasps, Rose threw a hand over his mouth before he could say anything and pulls him down behind the brick wall that lined the border of Burnie’s property. Rose peeked around the corner of the wall before ducking back when one of the men turned to look in their direction.

 

“What’s going on?” Ishmael asked in a hushed tone as he tries to look around Rose.

 

Rose gives a nervous smile, “Burnie didn’t tell you about any … interesting friends of hers, did she?”

 

Ishmael shook his head, “From what I know, she has a lot of people that hate her.”

 

Rose looked back over to the people walking in and out of Burnie’s house letting out a heavy sigh as she realized how much unknown she had just gotten herself into, “Well that’s just ten times better.”

 

Ishmael looks at her a bit confused, “How is that better?”

 

Rose rolled her eyes and shook her head, “It was sarcasms, Ishmael. I didn’t actually mean that is was better.”

 

“Oh, okay, that make more sense.”

 

Rose looked back over to the house, a long heavy sigh escaping her. This was going to be an extremely long experience for her to go through. All she had to do was let Ishmael walk away and she could have saved herself all this trouble.


	6. Jumping in Head First

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bunrie gets thrown no rope while trying to figure out whats going on while keeping control of her kleptic Niffler

“Where am I?” Burnie asked, Harrie had took her out to a small underground bar that she thought would be a wonderful place to get to know each other. Burnie, in contrary, was more focused on protecting Fritz from even the eyes of the other patrons.

 

“Glasgow.” Harrie said as if she was offing it and Burnie could reject it and ask for a new location.

 

Burnie’s brow flattened, “Glasgow,” She repeated, “He brought me to the Scots.” She sunk into her seat holding Fritz closer to her chest earning a little peep from him when she squeezed a bit to hard.

 

“Yohan was just trying to get you out of harm's way, he only went to me because he knows me best.” the other woman said looking down at Burnie with so much pity you though her parents would have died -well, she pretty certain they both are at this point, but that's not the topic at hand.

 

“Honestly,” Burnie started, “All I want to do is go back to when no one would look at me or pay me any mind and just let me do what I was doing. I don’t care if people half my age throw their milk cartons at me, I just want my home.”

 

“People threw milk at you?”

 

Burnie looked at her like it was common knowledge, “They’ve thrown worse, but yeah.” She shrugged, “That’s what I get for being born without magical abilities. At least that what my parents always told me.”

 

“Oh, my little honey bun,” Harrie said reaching over the table to grab and hold one of her hands, “You don’t deserve any of that-”

 

“Oh, yes, I know, my  _ new  _ father always likes to point that out to me whenever I’d come home from school.” Burnie said sitting more upright now, “That and he’s handed me a bundle of dead ferrets and tell me to go feed Patricia.”

 

“Patricia?”

 

“The Hippogriff.”

 

“Oh my.” 

 

Burnie shook her head and rolled her eyes to the back of her head before letting out a deep sigh and looking back at Harrie, “How many people do you know that carry a Niffler of all things with them like a purse OR who has  _ these _ .” She placed Fritz nicely down on the table before rolling up one of her sleeves to show all the scars and bite marks that covered it.

 

Harrie grabbed her arm and nearly pulled her over the table. She pointed to one of the larger bite marks, “Where did this come from?!”

 

“A baby dragon?” Burnie’s voice turned up at the end of her answer like she was questioning herself. She never thought that any of the scraps or cut she had gotten where that bad -compared to her dad, they were paper cuts. “That’s like 12 years old, it only looks that bad because the scare stretched with the skin when I grew.”

 

“I hope you don’t mind me asking, but how old were you 12 years ago?” Harrie said, her eyes getting big and … watery?

 

Burnie turned half away from her, “9?”

 

Harrie gasped so loudly Burnie snached Fritz off the table and jumped up and out of the chair she was sitting in. She looked down at the other woman with wide eyes and mouth agape.

 

She huffed before asking, “Could you possibly … not?”

 

\--

 

“You know what, Fritz,” Burnie started, holding Fritz as if he were a very soft and squishy football as she walked down the streets of a crowded city. It was late in the night and there was barely anyone out. She had ran out of Harrie, who had started gushing over her and her  _ very _ old scars, and now she had no idea where she was going. “I think these people are completely incompetent.”

 

Fritz gave a small little squeak and nod. Burnie huffed a laugh and shook her head, all of this was incredibly unfathomable. No one had warned her about being kidnapped by some weird man with odd colored hair and his extremely stylish friend. They did, however, teach her how to bank and pay for groceries on the dime. And the one thing that she would love most for this day, is for Fritz to wiggle out of her grasp while she was thinking about her life.

 

“Fritz?” Burnie called looking around herself, “Fritz!?” She yelled looked about the buildings to see which one he would be most attractive to, luckily there weren’t any jewelry shops. Unfortunately there was a very spivey looking building with MMAG, “Oh dear God, FRITZ!”

 

She hustled up and into the building just in time to have a wand pointed at her throat by a rather angry looking man in a black trench coat and a nicely pressed suit. “Oh, I’m sorry, where you just about to close, I didn’t see the times posted outside.”

 

“Shut your mouth, no-maj.” the man huffed through gritted teeth.

 

“Well, I’m not to sure what exactly a no-maj is -assuming it someone without magic- but that would be slightly wrong to call me.” Burnie spoke so fast her sentences started to blur each other.

 

The man gave her an odd look before slowly starting to pull his wand away from her neck, “What?”

 

Burnie let out a little nervous laugh, “You’d probably enjoy a no-maj’s company much more than mine, I’m what you, or the English rather, would call a Squib.”

 

“Oh,” The man pulled his wand back from her neck and dropped it back down by his hip, “I haven’t seen one of you in forever.” he gave a little smile like she was bringing him back to his childhood.

 

“That’s just wonderful, you wouldn’t of happend to see a rather chubby looking Niff-” A woman behind him walked out of her office holding onto Fritz with one hand on his belly, “-ler… oh my.”

 

“Greg,” She said walking up to the man that stood in front of Burnie. She had dark brown hair that was wrapped into a bun on the back of her head that had then been wrapped in grey fabric, she wore a black trench coat and a tight pencil skirt with a white blouse, “What would  _ this  _  be doing in my office exactly?”

 

“I belive that belongs to her.” Greg said pointing to Burnie. 

 

The woman looked over to her and back down the Fritz before narrowing her eyes at Burnie, “Do you have a permit for this creature?”

 

“Uuummm …” Burnie rubbed her hands together looking down at Fritz rather than the woman holding him, “I should … somewhere. He is legal, nothing to worry about there.”

 

The woman hums, looking from Fritz to Burnie and back again before facing Greg, “Take Ms. …”

 

“Todds.”

 

“Todds to the holding cell in sector 5, write her up for the possession of a magic creature without proper permits. Once she fills out the proper paperwork and pays the fine for both the jail time and the permit, she may leave.”

 

“What?” Burnie squeaked as another man grabbed her arms from the back and started to drag her off in a different direction, “I swear I do have the papers, just not on me. I was kind of thrown into this mess without being able to pack-” Burnie calls as she pushed through a pair of double doors only to be cut off by them slamming in her face.

 

The woman looks back down at Fritz, who she is still holding in a single hand, “Now, what to do with you …” She says sizing up the Niffler.

 

Fritz makes a noise equivalent to a huff before placing two tiny hands on the fingers next to his neck.

 

“Oh, don’t be that way,” the woman says shaking her head at Fritz, “She’ll be out in a day or two.”

 

Fritz disagrees with that. Chomping down on the closes of the woman’s fingers making her drop him. Once free, he sprinted for the the door and the woman chased him to the door and out on the the steps outside of them but quickly gave up when not being able to stop the little black fur ball in the slowly darkening night.

 

“Well shit.” She huffed before turning to go back into the building.


	7. Sand?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sand, that's definitely sand

Burnie sat on a cold metal bunch of a holding cell in the 5th sector of some hell hole that she got thrown into because Fritz saw something shiny and decided go get found out because the shiny thing turned out to be the one that would imprison her for not have the permit for him.

 

It was now midnight and she had been sitting there for six hours. Six hours of nothing but white walls and steel bars. Six hours of  pacing guards and shiny black boots scuffing the floor. Six hours of deep set eyes looking at her like she’s the filthiest scum at the bottom of the barrel. 

 

The last guard walks out of her vision and there’s a dull thud, not like the door or the closing of the desk doors that she can’t see. When the man walked back into view, he had dark purple bags under his eyes and his eyes themselves were like a … dead fish?

 

“And who might you be?” She asked raising a brow.

 

The man didn’t say anything, only looked at her with vacant eyes. He slowly raised a hand and showed her a small port with a man’s picture on the other side. He looked up from his paper that he was reading, his glasses halfway down his nose before giving a quick nod and returning to the paper, “Take her.”

 

“What?” was one of two things Burie could muster before the man at her cell door tucked away the little portal and grabbed the door with both hands. With one good tug he pulled it right off it’s hinges and tossed it aside.

 

“Oh, my.” Was the other thing, as she sat there in shock watching as the man came straight up to her and threw a small hour glass at her feet. She looked at it, expecting something to happen but there was nothing.

 

Looking back up again the man was standing with his wand pointed at her face and with a quick snap of his wrist her entire view flooded with white. ‘ _ And this is it _ ,’ Burnie thought to herself, ‘ _ I alway thought it be much more … sandy, I do hate sand _ .’ 

 

The white slowly faded to a light blue and a soft bright orange yellow that seemed to slip under her feet and felt a lot like

 

“Oh, why’d I have to think it.”

 

Sand

 

\---

 

Ishmael apparated onto an empty street of a rather rustic looking city, Rose in hand. Rose looked sickly, her skin turning a bit paler than she already was.

 

“Where are we?” She asked wobbling as she stayed in place.

 

Ishmael looked around himself, “Glasgow.”

 

She hummed, “And Why are we in Glasgow?”

 

“Burnie is here.” He said as if it was obvious.

 

Confusion crossed Rose’s face, “Who do you- where are you getting- how in the world-”

 

“We don’t have times for questions, Rose, we need to go find Burnie.” Ishmael shouts as he grabs tighter to her wrist and starts pulling her down the street.

 

“But how?”

 

“How doesn’t matter.”

 

\--

 

Fritz ran as fast as he could, which wasn’t very fast because of his incredibly tiny legs but he was trying his best. As he rounded the corner his little feet skidded to a halt as his eyes landed on an incredibly familiar face.

 

He squeaked and ran over to the familiar face, latching onto their foot. Two small hands grabbed him around his waist and lifted him up to be looked at.

 

“Fritz?” Ishmael asked as he looked over the Niffler. “Where’s Burnie?”

 

Fritz squeaked again and grabbed ahold of his face, pointing him in the direction of the little stairs leading down what appeared to be an apartment. Rose turned to look at where Fritz was pointing Ishmael’s face and asked, “Do you want us to go down there?”

 

The Niffler let out an affirming chirp. Ishmael obliges and walkes down to the door giving it two sharp knocks like he knows the place. Rose following behind him, wondering how in the world all of this was happening and how she, exactly, got all twisted into it.

 

There had to be something, it can’t just be fate, this kids got something and she doesn’t wait to find out, completely.

 

Harrie answered the door holding a small cup of tea and a look of surprise crossing her face when her eyes met two young Hogwart students. The younger one holding a chubby familiar looking Niffler, must be some sort of fad.

 

“Excuse me, Miss,” the one holding the Niffler said, a bright smile crossing his face, “You wouldn’t happen to know a woman named Burnie would you?” He asked.

 

Harrie looked over him and then the girl behind him carefully. There was nothing to off about them though the girl did seem a little sickly, “Mind if I ask why you're asking?”

 

“My friend has disappeared and I want to mauch sure she’s not in trouble.” He answered politely.

 

Harrie hummed before looking back up the stairs to make sure no one else was there before ushering the kids into her house and seating them on her couch. Setting down a small plate of desserts in front of them she sat in a chair diagonal to them.

 

“How do you know Burnie?” She asked the boy, he seemed the most talkative of the two.

 

“She’s a librarian at Hogwarts,” He started, “I use to go to her all the time for help on my school work, then she started to let me have lunch with her seeing as I was one of the only people that were nice to her.”

 

The other girl moved slightly on the couch to face Harrie more, “On the topic of people; would you happen to know anything about a … a cult that might want to use a-uh a Squib for something possibly?”

 

Harrie looked over at them as if they had just answered the question to life. She jumped up from her chair and called to someone in a different room, “Yohan, she thinks she’s a Squib!”

 

A man stumbled out of the room pulling a coat on as he did, “Who thinks what?”

 

“Burnie,” Harrie said excitedly, “She thinks she’s a Squib!”

 

His eyes went wide as he look at Harrie, “That’s why she’s a-”

 

“Yes!” 

 

“She’s a what?” The boy asked narrowing his eyes at both of them.

 

“I tell you later,” Harrie said putting the subject out the window as she hurried to crouch down in front of Fritz holding on to one of his little paws, “Can you show me the last place you saw Burnie?”

 

Fritz looked at the boy that was holding him and then back over to Harrie, giving a small nod and a chirp before he wiggled out of the boy's arms and ran for the door. He stopped in front of it and squealed for them to follow, or for them to open the door, or both.


	8. Lawmen

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Burnie fought the law and the *clap* law won

Naomie was the director of MMAG (Ministry of Magical Affiliations of Glasgow) now for five years and she thought she was pretty good at it, she’s seen some rather weird stuff -but what isn’t at least slightly weird when it comes to keeping peace between different Magical houses. Running after a Niffler was now to be added to that list of oddities that come with the job.

 

Walking out of her office after returning to her work after the whole ‘catch the Niffler’ thing didn’t work out too well. She caught a man leaving the building looking rather suspicious.

 

“Excuse me, Sir?”

 

The man turned to look at her showing dark dead eyes and the look of a week old fish plastered across his face.

 

“You're a-” 

 

Before she could finish the statement the man pulled something on her and the next thing Naomie knew she was sitting on something that felt like sand and blindingly bright lights blinding her.

 

“Oh, hey.” Said a slightly to calm of a voice from beside her.

 

When she turned to look, the woman she had just arrested was lounging in the sand next to her. Somehow she had gotten large round sunglasses and a large brimmed hat.

 

“Where are we?’ Naomie asked.

 

The woman looked at her with what seemed to be a flat expression, “Hell if I know.”

 

She huffed, “Great.”

 

\---

 

“Fritz, where are you going?” Ishmael yelled after the chubby, yet fast, Niffler. They ran down side alleys and through back streets till the speed demon came to a halting stop at the entrance to an extremely dark alleyway.

 

He yipped and pulled Ishmael back behind a wall, Rose scooching close behind him to look at what was going on, Harrie and Yohan doing the same. A hooded man walked up to a side door that had a single glowing purple lamp hanging outside of it casting a morbie soft glow over everything.

 

The man knocked a pattern on the door and it slowly creaked open. He pushed it the rest of the was open and walked it, shutting it behind himself. Ishmael squirmed before looking over to Rose with a stupidly wide grin on his face.

 

“Yes, I find it incredibly reasonable to follow that creepy looking man into an even creepier looking house, that sounds like a wonderful idea.” Rose said with a sickly amount of cheer.

 

“Really?”

 

“NO.”

 

“Then, what are going to do … ?” Yohan asked looking between Rose and the door.

 

Harrie narrowed her eyes at the door like it had just sassed her. There was something wrong about this but it also held the feeling of what they had to do next. Fritz must have felt the same thing because he went scurrying off towards the door like the man had stole from him.

 

Ishmael yelled after him before running to follow in his footsteps, Rose behind him and Harrie with Yohan behind her.

 

Fritz rasped his little knuckle on the door just like the man had and it slowly squeaked open just the same. He looked over to Ishmael and gave a small squeak before running into the house leaving everyone at the doorway.

 

It was dark, only one light hanging in the center of the room revealing a winding staircase the twisted itself up the wall to the upper levels. The house was much bigger on the inside than it first appeared on the out, but honestly Ishmael should have expected it.

 

Rose planted a hand on his shoulder and looked around him; something in her eyes made it seem like she wanted to run. Her grasp tightened when he took a step forward in the room following where Fritz had run off to. The Niffler sat at the bottom of a door and patted gently at it as if to say what they were looking for was in the room.

 

Harrie tugged at Yohan’s arm and pulled out her wand, “We’ll be look-out, you go find what Fritz wants to show you.”

 

Ishmael gave a little nod and opened the door and moved into the room with Rose still gripping at his shoulder like her life depended on it.

 

The room was better lite than the previous but still very dim. A large lush red rug covered the black wood floor. Dark red wall paper covered all the walls and tall dark wooden cabinets lind all of them, filled with odds and ends the glimmered behind the spotless glass that protected them.

 

“What is all of this?” Ishmael asked as his eyes scanned over the room.

 

Rose scoffed, “The trophy room of a person who needs to talk to someone about their suppressed emotions.”

 

Fritz had somehow gotten himself into one of the cabinets and was starting to maneuver through the shiny objects within it. 

 

\---

 

“If you don’t mind, might I ask where you got the hat and sunglasses from exactly?”Naomie asked as she looked down at her confused.

 

Burnie looked over at her before pointing to a small campsite that had been set up near to where she had tumbled in, “Don’t know if it’s for us to use, but I burn easily so I’m not taking any chances.”

 

The other let out a huff of a laugh as she looked up to the sky far above them, “Oh, how convenient.”

 

“I don’t know exactly what I should be feeling as of right now, but I don’t think our captor meant for it to be annoyed.” Burnie said letting out a deep sigh, “I just miss the life I had but a few hours ago.”

 

Naomie looked at her thoughtfully, “What was your life like before this … mess of a situation you’ve gotten yourself into?”

 

Burnie pulled a small photo out of her pocket and offered it to her. It was of a rather small Burnie, still with the small nick of a scar on her jaw sitting on a couch next to a man that she could only assume to be her father. The picture moved blurring the man's face mostly but he wore a long coat and held Burnie sweetly as she laughed at whatever was going on behind the camera.

 

“The man next to me is my adoptive father, and the whole things blurry because a little pest I called Philip tried to steal the camera.”

 

“What was he?” Naomie asked.

 

“A Niffler.”

 

“Are you a tradesmen in Nifflers or something?”

 

Burnie let out a small giggle, “No, there the only creature that won’t scare the living daylights out of me but is also nice enough to bring me things.” She said with a smale before continuing with, “They also swarm to me because they mistake my hair for gold, I blame the conditioner.”

 

Naomie laughed again, this time a real laugh though, nothing she covered up, “That sounds nice.”

 

“It wasn’t alway soft paws and stickmen braiding my hair. Half of the time I was running for my life from half of the things my father brought home. Got a lot of sacres, most of them were made with quite a feasible reasoning so I can’t complain to much.”

 

“Like that?” Naomie asked pointing the the large bite mark on her arm that Harrie had pointed out earlier.

 

“It got nastier.” Burnier said moving around to pull up her shirt to show and even worse scar that stretched across her belly making Naomie wince.

 

“Oh my.”


	9. Out on the Rescues

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People try to help Burnie, but there's one more chapter so the obviously don't do it right away

“Now that we have the girl, our plans can continue as  _ previously  _ thought,” Aaron said as he turned in his office chair to face the man that had come into his office. The chair nearly eat him as it towered over his head. His black hair was slicked back on his head and he wore a finely pressed black vest and slacks with a red undershirt, “If  _ you _ weren’t such a big klutz maybe we could have gotten her at her house but this is good as well.”

 

The man in front of him let out a groan and looked down at his feet. Aaron tsked and and stood from his chair, extending one of his hands in front of him, “Now hand over the hourglass and be on your way.” the man did as told and placed the small shiny gold item in his hand and took a step back from the desk.

 

Aaron smiled down at the hourglass turning it over in his hand a few times before turning back to the man, “I said leave.” He stated sternly making the other jump a moment before quickly walking over to the door and exiting.

 

He sat on his desk and held the hourglass up the light, examine it further. He gave a wicked smile as he let out a low chuckle from the back of his throat, “Father will love this,” He said, the tone of his voice becoming incredibly excited, “Now just to bleed her out and give him a little sample.”

 

\--

 

“-and that’s how I found out that I am  _ extremely  _ allergic to honeysuckle.”

 

“You lead one extraordinary life, Ms. Todds.” Naomie said with a shake of her head. She pick up the cantine Burnie had given her and took a small sip, not wanting to drink up all the water that they apparently had. 

 

“Extraordinary is one way to explain it,” Burnie huffed as she got up and rifled around through the tent looking for something else, “I just think of it as incredibly frightening.” she stood up and gave a little grunt and grabbed at her neck.

 

“Something wrong?” Naomie asked as she stood up.

 

Burnie waved her off and sidestepped, stumbling a bit, “Nah, nothing just a bit faint. Probably just stood up too fast.”

 

“Burnie, you're bleeding.” Naomie shouted as she ran over to her only to be shoved away by a bloody hand.

 

“No, I’m fine don’t worry about me!”

 

“Burnie, you need hel-”

 

“NO!” She shouted cutting off Naomie, black fog flaring up around her and she took another step away from Naomie. The other woman gave a shocked face making Burnie look down at herself to see her hands giving off a dark black smoke. 

 

She shook them violently till it stopped and patted around herself like she was burning and had to put herself out. Burnie looked up to Naomie like she had an answer for what just happened to her.

 

“I’m  _ not _ magic,” She huffed like she was trying to convince herself, “I swear, not in the slightest. I got locked in the bloody basement for not having magic, I’ve been screamed at my entire life that I don’t have magic and how much of a disappointment I was for being this way,” She stuttered on, tears welling in the corner of her eyes, “Bloody hell, my mother killed herself in front of me and my father disowned me because I didn’t have magic.”

 

She dropped to her knees and covered her face with her hands as she tried to hold back sobs. Naomie moved closer to her, tearing a bit of fabric of of the bottom of her shirt before kneeling down next to her and placing it lightly on her neck trying to help the bleeding.

 

“It’s not all bad, I assume.” Naomie said in a tyring-to-comfort sort of way.

 

Burnie looked up at her like an upset child, “It  _ is  _ completely bad. I have a bloody parasite living inside of me that I, myself, put there and now people the people that are trying to kill me for it have me locked inside an hourglass and are bleeding me out. That or the damn thing has turned on me and is now deciding to become sentient.”

 

“People are trying to kill you?” Naomie asked looking at Burnie with narrow eyes.

 

Burnie sighed, “For the past two days or so I’ve been told. Honestly, I have no idea what is going on at this point, all I know is that I’m  _ incredibly  _ tired and I haven’t had a decent meal in at least three days.”

 

“Hold a second,” Naomie said as she tilted her head slightly to look more at Burnie, studying her face deeper, “How old are you, if you don’t mind me asking?”

 

“21, Why?”

 

Naomie scoffed and rolled her eyes making Burnie think that she answer the question wrong, “That little nob.” She huffed as she got to her feet, “Of course it would be him, he said he wouldn’t but that again when could I ever trust  _ him _ .”

 

Burnie looked at her, very confused, “Who … are you talking about exactly?”

 

Naomie turned to her with her arms crossed over her chest and her face turned into a bit of a pout, “My brother, I told him not to, that our dad was just using us but of course  _ he _ wouldn’t listen.”

 

“Wait, so what’s happening to me?”

 

“I’ll explain it all to you later, but as of right now we have to get out of here before he bleeds you anymore.” she said looking up to the sky and narrowing her eyes at it.

 

Burnie got to her feet and walked up to where Naomie stood, “How are we going to get out exactly. We’re trapped, magicly I might add, in an hourglass of all things.”

 

“My brother thinks that the only person stronger than him is our father,  _ I _ can use that against him, all I need is an opening.”

 

“Hmm, and how long is that going to be?” Sass laced Burnie tone as she asked the question. She crossed her arms over her chest and leaned heavily on one leg as she looked over Naomie’s face.

 

“Not long.” She said turning to her and raising a hand to the sky and snapping her fingers. The next thing Naomie saw was her brother’s face that she swiftly slapped. The hourglass fell to the floor but didn’t brake. Aaron looked at her in awe before pushing her into the wall behind her and jumping to the other side of the desk, sweeping up the hourglass before calling for someone. 

 

Before Naomie could even pull out her wand all of her movement was frozen and she was stuck in a single position as the man that she ran into on the street held a hand out to her. She snarled and grunted out, “You’ll never get away with this, run while you can.”

 

Aaron looked at her with a raised brow and a devilish smile, “Who are you telling to run, sister. Because, this may just be me, but I seems you're little plan of escape only got yourself out of the  _ sandy _ situation.” he said shaking the hourglass, he lett out a low chuckle, “I already have gotten away with it, Naomie, and there’s nothing more you can do to stop me.”

 

“He’s just using you Aaron, and you know it!” She shouted at him, trying to bring him to his senses.

 

Aaron growled and narrowed his eyes at her, “Take her away and lock her up somewhere no one will find her.” He said the the man next to him. The man moved up to her and placed both of her hands behind her back, binding them there, “You're just jealous that I’ll be Father favorite child now.” Aaron said sticking his nose up in the air. The man dragged Naomie out of his office and down the hall.

 

\--

 

Harrie jumped at footsteps and quickly arn over to the side room Ishmael and Rose had gone into to warn then, “Quick now, people are coming.”

 

Ishmael looked between Fritz and all the objects he was turning over in his hands before being grabbed by Rose and pulled out of the room, “We don’t have time, come on.” She rushed them back out into the side alleys and ducked down behind the wall that they hid behind before. 

 

Fritz got stuck hiding behind a large pillar in the front room of the house as a man dragged a gagged woman that looked oddly familiar out on the side street. There was a smaller man that followed them to the door that held something shiny in his hands, something that looked like the shiny thing  _ he  _ was looking for. 

 

Rose followed after Yohan and Harrie who started running back the way they came only to be stopped by Ishmael looking around the corner once more, “Ishamel, we have to go.” Rose reasoned before trying to pull him along once again.

 

“But look.” he said pointing to something. 

 

She peeked her head around the corner to see the man that had walked into the building walking out but this time with someone, someone who looked like they didn’t exactly want to be with the man.

 

“We have to go after them.” Ishmael said.

 

“But what if it’s not Burnie?”

 

“What if it is?”

 

Rose groaned and looked between her safe way out and the pleading face of Ishmael, she let out a heavy sigh before giving a little nod, “Fine then, we follow from a safe distance and see where they're going.”

 

“And then rescue Burnie!”

 

\--

 

Burnie sat with her legs pulled tight to her chest as she stared up at the very blue sky. There was a slight redness in her eyes and she sniffed every few seconds.

 

She bit the inside of her bottom lip, “No, no it’s fine,” she said to herself or the imagery Naomie in front of her, “People do this to me all the time, I’m used to it.”


	10. The Last Straw

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It the end of the book as we know it, and I feel fine

“Aaron, you can’t  _ KILL _ her,” Naomie shouted at the man that stood to the other side of her, “I never thought I’d have to say this, but you can’t do this. Dad is _ USING  _ YOU!”

 

“He’d never, you're just jealous!” Yelled back Naomie’s brother as he stepped forward toward Burnie, “You were always jealous of me!”

 

“I wasn’t jealous, I was TRYING TO PROTECT YOU!” Naomie yelled back taking a step closer as well, making Burnie hug Fritz closer to her chest.

 

It was all closing in on her so fast. It felt like the nights she was forced to stay up and listen to her ‘parents’ yell back and forth at each other, blaming one another for what Burnie was so they could say their bloodline was the purest.

 

Burnie threw her arms up over her face like she use to as a child. There was a yell from both party around her as she covered over her eyes. Then there was something that stood out from all the rest.”

 

It was Ishmael, “BURNIE!”

 

She snapped her head over to see Ishmael being held back by Naomie as they stared, wide eyed at something behind her. She turned to look at what all the others had been looking at and came face to face with black nothingness that followed her around like, well, a shadow.

 

“What … am I?” Burnie asked in no one in particular but mostly just to herself.

 

Aaron moved forward, looking up to the black mass with some much awe it could have been considered a bit obsessive, “You're just what I need to be considered something of worth to my father.” he said raising his wand up again.

 

“Aaron, stop!”

 

“You don’t know what this means to me!” He threw his hand out and a bolt of red went flying at Burnie, but getting block right before it could hit her by a wall of shadow. Once the wall of shadow came down a rather surprised looking Burnie stood on the other side.

 

Aaron gave an angry yell before hurling another one at her, and it getting deflected like before. Another grunt and he shot again, and again, and again, and all were defected again and again, one after another.

 

After the last shot Burnie dropped the wall and pushed a hand out towards him, a shadow hand mocking hers and reaching out towards him. The index and thumb came together before flicking out and sending Aaron flying backwards down the street.

 

Ishmael ran up to stand next to Burnie, or at least try. Rose grabbed him by the arm and pulled him back towards herself. Naomie came over to stand in front of them, as if Burnie was some sort of monster to hide children from. Burnie looked at them with a sad sort of mope on her face.

 

Naomie pushed Rose and Ishmael away from her, “Rose, get Ishmael somewhere safe, I don’t want you two to get hurt.”

 

“What do you mean ‘hurt’?” Burnie asked watching Rose drag Ishmael away from them, “I-I’m not going to hurt anyone? Wh-why would you s-say that?” the blackness around Burnie grew larger and more dangerous with her emotions.

 

“Burnie,” Naomie said putting her hands up as she tried to sooth Burnie back to normal, “I need you to calm down, you're not yourself.”

 

“What do you know about being ME?!” Burnie yelled at her a flare of black smoke coming up from her eyes, “What do you know about being locked in a basement for half you life just to have your parents disown you because they thought you were USELESS?!”

 

“Burnie please-” She was shot a glare that felt like she had just looked death in the eyes before two hands formed out of the smoke and made to smash her into the pavement. Luckily for Naomie, her brother wasn’t going to give up that easily.

 

Aaron came bolting at Burnie, catching her around her stomach and knocking her onto the back. He had both hands on her neck and proceeded to slam her head into the road. Burnie’s hands gripped tightly to his slaves before she tucked her leg under his chest and pushed up with all her might, flinging Aaron off of herself.

 

He went rolling over to where Naomie stood and she quickly raced over to him, crouching down to see if you was alright. He pushed her off of himself and got unsteadily to his feet.

 

“You going to get yourself killed if you keep try to go after her,” Naomie warned, “Just give up on father prophecy and come back to live with me.”

 

“Naomie, I’ve already done enough giving up because of you,” Aaron said as he marched over to where Burnie was still whoozley getting back on her own unstable feet, “If I die trying to do this so be it.”

 

He took out his wand and threw at least two spells, one hitting Burnie in the shoulder and the other being blocked by a wall of shadows. He let out an angry growl before charging into the cloud of blackness, only to find nothing inside. He looked around himself, scanning his surroundings before feeling Burnie appeared behind him. He spun around to face her only to be punched in the throat and get the air knocked out of himself.

 

They fought back and forth for a while, him with his magic, and her ducking out of the way and landing any punch she could. She was doing pretty good till he grabbed her by the arm and almost put his wand through her rib as he casted. The spell sent her flying backwards down the street, landing on her belly when she finally stopped rolling.

 

She moved to get up on to her hands only to have Aaron push her back down to the ground with his foot on her back. “You're not worth the time I put into you.” He said moving his wand to point at her face.

 

She huffed a laugh before grabbing hold of his leg, “Yes you have.”

 

Before Aaron could even think of the spell he was going to use, he was thrown so high into the air he could see the tops of the building around him and the black mass of what use to be Burnie pulling him up before sending him crashing back down. So hard down that he cracked the pavement around where he had fallen.

 

Burnie appeared over top of him, a foot on either side of his toso, a strand of her light golden blonde hair now an odd smokey black drifting up from her head, “You really have.” 

 

She lifted an arm and the black formed a large sharp dangerous looking blade around it. She gave one last soulless look down at Aaron before slamming it down into his chest and killing him. Some sort of relief like feeling washed over Burnie as she watched the life slowly drain from Aaron’s body along with his blood.

 

She took a staggering step backwards and fell to a sitting position on the ground where Fritz greeted her by crawling up into her lap and pawing over her face. Ishmael came running over to hug her around her neck and leaning heavily into her back making her realize just how hurt she actually was. Rose came over with Ishmael and offered a little support, a reasonable amount for how well she knew Burnie. But Naomie was … odd.

 

She walked up to Burnie and made sure she was okay before walking over to  what remained of her brother. She looked down at him with a disappointed yet sorrowful look that made Burnie’s stomach turn.

 

“I’m sorry, Naomie, I didn’t mean to kill him.” Burnie offered but only got waved off.

 

Naomie turned away from her brother and looked back down at Burnie, “It’s not your fault, Burnie, he would have killed himself doing something else if it wasn’t you. It was only a matter of time before the consequences for his action caught up with him.”

 

Burnie looked up at her with large eyes, “You can still feel sad about it, Naomie.”

 

“What’s that point in that, he wouldn’t have mourned for me if I were to be the dead one.”She huffed, “Anyway, I have  _ other _ things to be worried about.”

 

“Oh, really?”

 

“OH MY LORD, BURNIE, ARE YOU ALRIGHT!” Harrie yells came from the other side of the buildings.

 

Burnie tried to move to see where she was but was surprised by another hug, and a rather tight one at that, around her neck on the other side. She huffed a little laugh, “I’m fine Harrie, there’s no need to worry about me.”

 

“What happened here?” Yohan asked walking up to stand next to Naomie as he looked over at where her brother was.

 

Naomie let out a heavy sigh, “A lot.”

 

\---

 

Three years later, Burnie is on the dig site of her latest endeavor as the head magical-archaeologist that has the specialty in magical creature. She sits in her tent still sweating even in the shade as she writes some short but sweet and to the point letters back home to her father, Ishmael and Rose, Harrie and Yohan as well as Naomie who had moved up herself in life.

 

Her father loved hear of anything to do with creatures that she found and loved it even more when she could send back little ancient carvings of them, he was apparently starting a collection. And Ishmael just loved hearing from her in general.

 

As she finished up the finally marks of her letters she plucked her jewelry from the hands of her three nifflers. She thought had she had hid the jewelry box better but she should have known that Heralde would be able to find it. Evangelyn wasn’t much better when it came to taking things that didn’t belong to her, but at least when you get them back they were as clean as they day you bought them. Of course, Fritz was still, and would alway be, the best behaved out of all three of them but he still did have the occasional sticky hand when it came to anything shiny.

 

As she stashed the box back away was a fake knocking sound on her door, “Who is it?” She called out as she made her way back to the living room of the tent.

 

A tall skinny man with blond hair and tan skin pulled back the sheet, “The others have found something that they think you might know a little more on than us.” he said giving a soft smile, “If you wouldn’t mind, of course.”

 

“Why not, I’ve got time.” She said with a shrug, “Lead the way Hans.” she huffed and she slipped on her sun had and slid past him out of her tent.

 

“Right this way.” He directed her over and off into the dig site.

 

Somehow, this felt the most right to her. Something about it felt like home, like she truly belonged. She loved creatures, all except for when they tried to do anything to her, and now she could spend all the time she wanted with them, or at least covering of them, and she wouldn’t have to worry about being bit of stung, or hell even poisoned. She could sit and be with what she loved, and actually relax for once. 


End file.
